Spammy Joins The Child Malnutrition Fight

Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods Corp. introduces Spammy, a fortified, shelf-stable turkey spread fortified with zinc, iron, B vitamins, and other essential vitamins and minerals to help address childhood malnutrition throughout the world. "Hormel Foods sought to create a product high in protein to help serve malnourished and poverty-stricken communities worldwide," says Jeffrey M. Ettinger, chairman of the board, president and CEO. "Our company has years of experience in creating shelf-stable proteins, so we employed our expertise to create this new product." Hormel Foods made an initial three-year commitment to deliver 1 million cans of Spammy to in-need families in Guatemala through partners Food For The Poor, a relief and development organization that raises funds and provides direct relief assistance to the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Caritas Arquidiocesana in 2011, a charity committed to combating poverty. Guatemala was selected because its poverty rate is more than 50 percent and the chronic malnutrition rate is the highest in the Western hemisphere. "Through our partnership with Hormel Foods, we are able to provide much-needed protein to the women and children of Guatemala, and we are already seeing progress," says Robin Mahfood, president and CEO for Food For The Poor. "The children who eat Spammy are more active, their grades are improving, and overall, they are happier and healthier."In addition, Hormel Foods worked with Food For The Poor and donated more than 100,000 cans of Spammy to Haiti after the earthquake in January 2010.Hormel Foods and Food For The Poor created a website to allow individuals to contribute to the Spammy program. All donations through the website will go directly and fully to Food For The Poor to purchase Spammy fortified turkey spread at cost from Hormel Foods. To make a donation or learn more about Spammy or Food For The Poor, visit www.hormelfoods.com/responsibility/hunger